Oprah Winfrey revealed that the late Barbara Walters had contributed to her decision to not have children of her own
The TV personality, 71 – who recently showed off her thinner frame at the 2025 Tony Awards – commented on the topic in the upcoming Hulu documentary Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything, per The Daily Beast.
Walters – who passed away at the age of 93 in 2022 – adopted a daughter named Jacqueline in 1968 with her second husband Lee Guber.
However, Barbara notably had a rocky relationship with Jacqueline and at one point, her daughter had run away from home when she was a teenager for a month.
Winfrey recalled how the media mogul had actually encouraged her to have kids and stated, ‘I remember her telling me once that there’s nothing more fulfilling than having children, and “You should really think about it.”
‘And I was like, “Okay, but I’m looking at you, so, no,”‘ the former talk show host continued.
Oprah also described Barbara’s relationship with her daughter as both ‘complex’ and ‘charged’ – adding that it was ‘one of the reasons why I never had children.’
Walters was known for her groundbreaking career in journalism – which began in the 1960s when she became staff for the Today show.
In 1974, she became co-host of the the program, and was the first woman to do so for a news show in America.
Barbara also interviewed a number of celebrities and public figures throughout her career such as former U.S. presidents, Fidel Castro, Monica Lewinsky, Katherine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand.
Winfrey also explained that she understood Barbara’s drive when it came to her career, and touched on the subject of needing to make sacrifices when it comes to both work and parenting.
‘You are a pioneer in your field and you are trying to break the mold, for yourself and for women who are going to follow you,’ she said. ‘Something’s going to have to give for that.
‘And that is why I did not have children. I knew I could not do both well. Both are sacrifices. Sacrifice to do the work and it’s also sacrifice to be the mother and to say, “No, let somebody else have that.”‘
Oprah continued, ‘At no time have I ever heard a story, read a story, and based on what I know of Barbara Walters – at no time has Barbara Walters ever said, “No let someone else take that story.”‘
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She should have listened to her